1st ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise (AUMX) begins

The first ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise (AUMX) between the regional bloc and Washington, starting at the Sattahip Naval Base in Thailand and ending in Singapore.

This drill is Co-led by the US and Royal Thai navies, the exercises will stretch into “international waters in Southeast Asia, including the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea”. The drills come at a time of stepped-up US engagement in the region and tensions between Beijing and Southeast Asian nations over the South China Sea.

Source: The Hindu